Around the area & state: Holdup attempt ends with one dead, one hurt

Galveston Animal Control on Wednesday trapped and euthanized a coyote thought responsible for
killing multiple pets on the island in recent weeks.

Galveston Animal Control on Wednesday trapped and euthanized a...

A man opened fire on three people who tried to rob him, killing one, Houston police said.

The man and a neighbor were talking outside their apartment complex at 12600 Medfield near Dairy Ashford when three men, two of them armed, approached about 10 p.m. Tuesday. The trio demanded their wallets, cell phones and car keys.

The attackers threatened to kill the neighbors when they realized the men had little cash, police said. One of the neighbors, who has a concealed handgun license, at that point pulled his gun and opened fire.

He wounded two of the attackers. One was taken to Memorial Hermann hospital, where he died a few hours later. Police identified him as 20-year-old Mitchell Deon Tucker. The other was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital. He was in serious condition.

Police were looking for the third man, who ran.

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Harris County man arrested in child porn raid

Authorities have arrested a 41-year-old man at his west Harris County home after they discovered numerous sexually explicit images of children, including toddlers, on his computer, court records state.

Andras Timothy Szanto was charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. He was released from Harris County Jail on combined $60,000 bond, according to court records.

During an investigation, sheriff's authorities found information that led them Szanto's home where they believed a computer contained child pornography images, court records state. When they arrived to the home last week, Szanto confessed to authorities that he searched and downloaded thousands of images of child pornography, according to court records.

During a forensic scan of Szanto's computer and multiple DVDs found at his home, authorities discovered several images of child pornography, with at least one image that contained children, who were toddler-aged, court records sate.

Horse injured when attempted theft goes awry

A horse was injured when someone tried to steal it from a Montgomery County residence, officials said.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is looking for whoever tried to steal the horse on Monday from a home on FM 1774 and Goodson Loop. The horse suffered a cut when running through a fence during the incident.

According to sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Dan Norris, horse theft and cattle rustling are not prevalent in the area.

"This is a type of crime that happens occasionally in Montgomery County," Norris said.

Anyone with information about the attempted horse theft is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-392-STOP (7867).

Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment of a felony crime.

Isle pets can rest easy after coyote caught, put down

A coyote thought to be responsible for killing pets in a Galveston residential area was captured Wednesday and has been euthanized, police said.

Lt. Michael Gray, a Galveston Police Department spokesman, described the animal as an "opportunistic hunter."

Residents reported that the coyote killed at least one dog and a few cats during the last two weeks. Since the first report, animal control officials have been setting live traps.

Gray said coyote sightings are rare, especially in a residential neighborhood.

On Wednesday, the coyote was captured near Colony Park.

The coyote was euthanized at the Galveston Humane Society. Its body will be tested for rabies in Houston this week, Gray said.

He said they do not want coyotes to begin attacking domestic animals or children it encounters.

"It's easy for wild animals to come in the town and hunt," Gray said. "Once they do and stay around, they are a nuisance and we have to do something about them."

Tot found safe by road where car thief left him

GILMER - A 1-year-old East Texas infant is back with his mother after he was left on the side of a road by a car thief who had taken the vehicle he was in.

Police in Gilmer say the infant's mother had him safely secured in the backseat as she was unloading boxes from the vehicle when a 31-year-old man stole the car Wednesday.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported police found the baby 25 minutes later on the side of a county road, still in his car seat and unharmed.

A suspect in the car theft was later apprehended inside a home near Gilmer, about 120 miles east of Dallas.

Sgt. Investigator Roxanne Warren said the man, whose name was not released but who is from Houston, faces charges including aggravated kidnapping.

Governor credits Enterprise Fund for 800 new jobs

AUSTIN - Nearly 800 new jobs will be coming to Austin thanks to a new global information technology center being built by Visa U.S.A. Inc.

Gov. Rick Perry announced Wednesday that Visa is constructing the IT center after the state offered the company $7.9 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund.

The fund offers economic development grants to private companies in an effort to bring jobs to Texas.

A Visa spokesman says the company is working closely with local officials to finalize an agreement.

Perry's office says since the fund was created in 2003, it has invested more than $472 million and closed the deal on projects generating more than 63,900 new jobs and more than $22.6 billion in capital investment in the state.